Soul Birds

For 15-year old Pauline, 10-year old Richard and 6-year old Lenni, life means something very special. They suffer from leukemia and they are facing death. Pauline writes poems, Richard knows everything about his disease and Lenni ´s charm fills any room. Three strong young people with all their plans, hopes, triumphs and defeats. An unsusual cinematic approach to a situation that is not all about the disease but instead the search for life’s energy and power.

Thomas Riedelsheimer: "Some time ago I spent an evening with several nurses and physicians who care for seriously ill and dying children. The charisma of these women deeply touched and impressed me. There was something powerful, essential and fundamental about them. It was as if the dying children had left them something. This energy became my topic. Seelenvögel (Soul Birds) is a very special film for me – in all respects. The way I was able to make it over a period of three years, and of course there was the topic “children threatened by death”. A situation that is not supposed to happen, that everyone is frightened of and prefers to pretend doesn’t exist. I have two children myself and sometimes I could only cope with the events in the film by concentrating on my role as filmmaker. Nevertheless, at the end of the three years, I have not been left feeling frustrated or depressed. There is a feeling of power and energy that I have been given by those kids. I believe this film is able to communicate."